Library Girl Knits!

Very bummed out today 🙁 I haven’t posted much because of the cat taking over and work being mad mad busy. But the cat has disappeared. He went out last night, and hasn’t come back since. He’s been living with us just over two weeks, and has always been very very prompt, there are no signs of squished kitty on the road (v good), so I can only assume that he has either found his home again, or has found someone else to look after him. Either way, I can’t believe how much I miss him after just two weeks – I feel like I’ve lost a piece of me. I feel horrendous. I know that whoever lost him probably felt that way too, but we did what we could to find them, and then claimed him when we had no luck. We even named him (Oscar), and bought him a collar that reflects the light so that he wasn’t as likely to meet an end on the road. Poo.
Regardless, I have to try and pull myself together. I have work to do. I have an interview on Friday, so I need to get some research in before I go. I also should be doing research for my dissertation now, but I just can’t move on it yet. Not till Friday is done with. But right now it is hard to concentrate on either of them. I’m such a wimp. But I always knew I get attached too quickly. Poo.

Sorry about that title, but it pretty much sums me up at the moment. I came home sick on Thursday after having hot flushes and major nausea, hence lack of posting, and also lack of knitting. I’m feeling a little better now, but I’ve not eaten all weekend, so I’m taking the day off to get some energy and strength back – working on a front line customer service point when you haven’t eaten for 4 or 5 days is not good. I felt guilty when I phoned in, as the lady I spoke to seemed surprised that I could be poorly for so long (this is the first time I’ve been sick in about six months, since I gave up wheat – I used to be ill more often and quite regularly because of the intolerance, so I feel I’ve been doing well). But then I went upstairs and realised that getting tired from climbing the stairs first thing in the morning is not normal, and I’m doing the right thing resting today. It’s just that guilt feeling of not going to work and feeling like I’m betraying them or something :/
Anyway, here is a little bit of niceness 🙂 DB and I have been claimed by a kitten! I was in the bathroom getting ready last week and I heard a noise. Then this little kitty face appeared under the blind at the window. He’d seen me open the window and decided to visit 😀 And he hasn’t left since. He’s beautiful – I can’t upload a pic at the moment because WP seems to have reset permissions for uploading 🙁 He’s white with black patches, is almost fully grown but still at that lanky stage, and is the most affectionate, loving and good natured kitten I’ve met in a long time. He reminds me of my last cat, Holly, but this little fella is more needy. He likes to be near you almost all the time, likes to snuggle up a lot – if he can’t sit on your lap he’ll sit right next to you. He also likes to sit on the laptop/computer keyboard, or sit on your arm/hand so that you can’t actually do anything. Having said all this, he appeared in pretty good condition, so he must have been living with someone, so we need to check if he is chipped, and look in the local paper for the lost ads. He hasn’t wanted to leave us to go home though, so maybe he was unhappy there. We’ll see anyway – I’m already really attached to him, and no matter what impression DB may present, he’s certainly fond of him (but not of his poo – he has said that if I clean the poo up, he’ll pay for all the cat food and litter, which is a good deal for him at the moment!), but we need to make sure that there isn’t a family missing him and upset over him first.
Finally, I’ve been tagged by Leah at Use Your Hands.
TEN YEARS AGO: I was just about to meet DB, and was still studying law in Manchester (please note that I am not clever enough or interested enough in it – I only did one year). I worked in a bar to top up my living allowance – these were the days when students still got grants, and my mum and aunt had clubbed together to pay my rent for the year to avoid me getting a loan. I was busy loving the city, enjoying the clothes shops and being slim (something I haven’t been since meeting DB – that’s relationships for you!).
FIVE YEARS AGO: I had just graduated from my English course, and was looking for a proper job. Because I’d been working as a Saturday assistant at the public library, and quite enjoyed the environment and people, I was looking for work in libraries in general. This was a complete change to my original desire to work in publishing, but I didn’t have much chance getting work in the area, so I did the right thing in changing direction. I got a job in a university library, and loved the academic environment, and started thinking about where a career in libraries could go.
ONE YEAR AGO: I was stressing about course work for my MSc, looking at my promotion and hoping that it wouldn’t have too much of a negative impact on the people around me, as well as hoping that it wouldn’t make a difference to my studies.
FIVE SNACKS: Yuck – this is not the best time to think about this! Mature cheddar with cheese biscuits, Skinny Cow ice cream cones. When I ate bread, I’d love toast – just slightly golden with a lovely splodge of spread on it (low fat may I add) or Laughing Cow cheese spread. Pickled Onion Monster Munch is a good one. Finally, just to prove that I do eat fruit and veg, there is nothing like a pack of mixed melon. Watermelon and Gala particularly.
FIVE SONGS I KNOW ALL THE WORDS TO: There are quite a few Sleeper and Salad songs I know by heart, for those who remember them! I also know Gigantic by the Pixies (one of my fave songs ever), Hand in Glove (the Smiths version rather than Sandy Shaw’s, but both are good by me), Never So Lonely by the Kostars, Dress by PJ Harvey, and Cherry Lips by Garbage
FIVE THINGS I WOULD DO WITH $100 MILLION: 1) Give some cash to my brother and buy him a house, 2) Pay off our mortgage, and finish decorating the house, 3) Buy a car/scooter and learn to drive, 4) Give my mum some cash too to keep her mortgage free, 5) Give at least 50% to charities across different issues (animal care, child protection, hospitals, the homeless and any others I’ve forgotten that are dear to me).
FIVE PLACES TO RUN AWAY TO: Prague, the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, the woods near my house, and Japan, despite never visiting there (I SO want to!)
FIVE THINGS I WOULD NEVER WEAR: Batwing tops or anything else really 80s (including puffball skirts), shell suits, velour tracksuits, real fur, ponchos.
FIVE FAVORITE TV SHOWS: The Simpsons, Futurama, People Like Us (one of the best spoof documentaries ever), Spaced and Lost.
FIVE BIGGEST JOYS: Knitting and shopping for yarn, reading a good novel, learning new things, snuggling up to DB, walking in the middle of nowhere and feeling like I’m going to get lost.
FAVORITE TOYS: Knitting needles and yarn (naturally!), my MP3 player, the DVD player (largely in conjunction with Studio Ghibli discs), our high speed internet connection, and my orchids.
PEOPLE TO PASS THIS ON TO: I’ll pass this to BlueADT, Little Lixie, Deb on the Web, Xtreme Jen, and Kimberli NY (even if she is galivanting around China at the mo!).
Anyway, I’m sleepy now, and the laptop battery is running down, so I’m going.

Well, this session of Secret Pal is over, and it has been wonderful. The organiser has done so much work to get it all set up, and angels sent out, and maintaining everything, and has done a fantastic job. My pal has been brilliant. I am most definitely signing up for number 7, but not 6, because I’m going to have too much on with my tuition fees for the next couple of months. Shame, but it is better to do that than act as a bad pal to whoever I’m issued.
Also, not much knitting 🙁 I’ve been too busy with job applications for qualified posts this week. Cross your fingers for me. Interviews are planned for the 16th, so I won’t have to wait long at least, but I’m trying to think pessimistically so that I don’t get disappointed. I did have a little mini session though yesterday with someone I work with, who has become a knitting pal since I introduced her to it 🙂 She has been making some stunning knitted jewellry with wire and beads, and my attempts have been rather pitiful, so we met up for lunch to run through what I’d done and try and fix it. Apparently the wire I’ve been using is too thick, so I’m stepping down a level – we shall see how that goes…
This week I realised that Autumn is pending – every morning, regardless of what the weather has been like during the day or evening, the mornings have been rather chilly, and I’ve needed handwarmers. I’ve even seen my breath in a little icy cloud. I need a little scarf to keep me warm until the weather gets colder and I can justify a proper big chunky one. Luckily I have the lovely Rowan gift to make up in Kid Silk Haze, so I’m going to try and get that one done soon. I’d also love to make a particular scarf from Rowan 39, and given that my mum has given me a little cash to play with, I might price it up. This one is made from Kid Silk Haze and Felted Tweed (I think) knitted together in seed stitch in lovely stripes of colour. Because it is striped, it will take a lot of yarn purchasing, but luckily FT isn’t too expensive. Just the KSH. I’ll be checking the cost and my bank balance later to make sure I have enough for fees and purchasing online…
Anyway, it is very early in the morning for a weekend – my body clock is firmly set to work mode, so I might as well take advantage of it and get some of my neglected knitting projects done so I can start some new ones 🙂

Well, I’ve moaned enough the past few weeks, and I still have plenty of reason to moan, but I won’t 🙂
I’ve forgotten to clarify what Secret Pal is for Little Stace – sorry petal! Secret Pal is just lovely! The new release lives here, so if you want to sign up, make it quick! Basically, you are assigned someone to buy/make gifts for. These can be anything you like, but the person you are getting them for posts the answers to a lengthy questionnaire on their blog so that you know what kind of stuff they like. As the name suggests, you keep a secret who you are until the end of the gift period – about 3 months normally. While you do this for your pal, someone else does the same for you 🙂 It is very exciting, and if you get someone good like I have done, they get it spot on each time, and it is fab! I hope my pal likes the stuff I got her 🙂 Anyway, you should go for a cardi or something, but maybe make one in chunky yarn for your first one – you could have it done in a week that way 😀 Or you could make one of those shrugs made from a square or t-shape to build your confidence up a bit. There is also a fab way of making jumpers just from 4 squares – one for the front, one for the back and two for the sleeves, so that you don’t worry about shaping. Go for it!
Next, many thanks to the lovely Sylvie for her nice comment on my bolero. I’m still letting it rest at the mo – too many things to get done for birthday gifts etc, but saying nice things means that I’m more likely to go back to it 🙂 And I don’t mind if any of you want to say ‘Bry, you look rubbish in it’ 😉 That’s why I asked!
Anyway, I made a small purchase today. Thanks to my lovely Pal’s stitchmarkers, I’ve worked out how to make some, so I bought some findings today and some beads to make some with, and will play with them tonight. I tried knitting with wire yesterday, and failed miserably, but a friend has done so with fabbooo results, so I’m going to beg lessons from her. And persuade her to blog her results too hopefully!
I also bought a rather nice bardot style jumper today from Sainsburys for not much cash. This is good for two reasons. The first is that it is nice 🙂 The second is that I can use the raglan shaping to work out how to measure and calculate my design… Woot! Because it is a really broad neckline, I can work out how big I need it to be when I cast on for the top down raglan idea, and just increase a la OSW in order to get the shoulders and sleeves I need (theoretically!). I’m going to play with some yarn without a project first and see if it works, and then find some lovely (cheap) stuff to make the full garment – I don’t have enough stuff to do that at the mo from any of my spare bits and pieces. Yay! Exciting!

Ok, so here is the damp squib first. This is the Vogue Knitting Lace Trim Bolero, not yet pressed, and without trim. I’m really not sure what I think of it. I know it will be a good inch longer when I make the trim, but is it too baggy and boxy for me? I know I’m not very svelt exactly, but I have tried boleros on before and looked ok, so I’m not sure what it is about this one that is missing the target… And please note, the pic is taken from a slight angle, so looks a bit odd. And the mirror needs cleaning (but I have evidence to show that I am on that already!).

I can’t believe I posted that pic. Yuck. 🙂
Ok, so here is the much nicer image of a quick fix 😀 This is Eowyn, from Rowan 39. Dead easy, and super quick. It is made of Kid Classic doubled up, so I’ve used the left over stuff from Fern. The only problem I have with this is that the pic shows a thumb hole (or a really bad mistake) at the non-lacey side of the warmer, but the pattern doesn’t include one, and I can see this looking lovely both ways on. It would be pretty easy to add a thumb hole, but because of the desire to just get something done quickly, I just did what I was told 🙂 The first pic is better for the colour, and length, but the second is better for the detail. You can’t really see the lace cuff very well, but it is very pretty. And a bugger to photograph while wearing it.
Glove goes on

Glove comes off

Sorry – couldn’t resist that Simpsons reference then 🙂
Finally the surprise. I may have mentioned couple of weeks ago that I was expecting a parcel from my friend, and went to collect one thinking it was hers, only to get my secret pal one. Well, it never appeared, and my friend was rather cheesed off to say the least. Today, I was cleaning up a little in preparation for my mum and gran possibly visiting tomorrow. I took the rubbish out to the bin in the garden, and saw that DB had left the last bag on top of the bin instead of putting it inside, so I took it off, getting covered in stale rainwater, lifted the lid on the bin, and saw something. On top of a pile of bin bags sitting in rainwater at the bottom, there was a brown paper mess. Dry, but ripped, with a big white plastic bag coming out of it. Guess what it was 😉 The binmen come on Thursday, so it must have arrived after that to be on top of the bags and not in the dustcart, but we haven’t had anything put through the door to say it has been left there, and it was posted two weeks last Thursday. Either way, the postie has been rather slack to say the least. But it is here, and still, I hope, fully intact 😀
So here is what it looked like when I opened the bin.

And here is the lovely wooly goodness inside!

There is one hank of Colinette Point 5 in yummy greens and yellows and little minty blue, one hank of aran weight in Tartan Green from Coldharbour Mill in Devon (a working wool museum Sue visited), and one hank of what looks to be some DK yarn in a lovely turquoisy greeny blue. YUM. I also suspect that Sue has been talking to my Secret Pal. Given that they posted the parcels at nearly the same time (although of course that might be to do with the major stress and stroppy knickers I was wearing at the time), and have selected colours go perfectly together, even if they aren’t the same weight, they are either very sneaky, or I am extremely lucky and have pals who know what I like and when 😀 I have visions of knitting the DK and aran yarns together as one, and using them with the SP bulky yarn. Don’t know what I’d make with them, but they go too well together to miss out on that serendipity 🙂 Yay! As for the Point 5, I was eyeing up a hat and stuff in the fall release of either FCEK or VK (can’t remember which, but I think it was the former), but didn’t know if I’d have enough left over from the herrinbone scarf. Now I can make up lovely things 😀 Yay!
So in summary, life sometimes sucks, but friends and SPs are always there to work their magic, and remind you that they are there while things are bab. Thank goodness for your timing, and your general fabness. Cheers guys 🙂

A couple of things: Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora is lovely. Secondly, Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora is lovely. Sometimes a little bit splitty, but otherwise gorgeous. Yum.
I’ll be posting a pic later – I’ve finished the main bit of the bolero, and am feeling distinctly non-excited about it, so I need some opinions before I start on the lace (if I start it!). But right now I need something quick and satisfying, so I’m thinking about knitting a bracelet, or making one of the armwarmers from the latest Rowan mag… Mmmmm 🙂

Ok, so it didn’t take long to encounter a problem. I’ve been using a mix of Ann Budd pattern guides and the DB/Interweave pattern to try and make something more appropriate in terms of my gauge and the right fit, and because I am also a dummy (I did try designing from scratch using my gauge but I had no idea what to do with the collar section). The main body is quite easy – I want to keep it plain, so I’m shaping appropriately to my measurements. However, I want to make bell sleeves instead of the ribbed ones, but I want to retain the collar shaping. These both mean that I have to use some maths and my brain. I need to work out how to fit the collar to my gauge, and because I have no other pattern to refer to, DB is my guide – I figured a basic scoop/slash neck fit and picking up stitches, but that is a bit complicated without something to show me how. The bell sleeves are the same – I have nothing to base these on, so I need to work out whether I could just cast on a few stitches more than a basic sleeve and then decrease the extra , but where would I decrease up to? Would I cast on enough to decrease to where my elbow is, and only decrease to the normal size you’d increase to by that point, then start increasing again? That sounds about right, but how big do I want this sleeve at the cuff? Hmmmm. And I thought this would be quite easy… Ha! That showed me already! 🙂

Eureka! I was in Sainsburys today, noseying amongst the new clothes they have in, when I found a very lovely jumper with a big collar (see a theme here?). I tried it on, thinking I could justify buying it because of my gauge disappointment. The yarn, yet again, was nasty itchy sheddy stuff – my black trousers were covered in the nasty white fluff, so I chose not to buy. But still, it looked quite nice… So I had a nosey at the construction. DEAD EASY! A basic sweater, with bell sleeves, one inch of shoulder and drop shoulder (I think that’s the name, but I’ll need to check with our Ann) sleeves. All I need to do is look at a scoop neck collar shaping. The shoulder/sleeve fit means that it gives the maximum width for the collar in the body, while leaving scope to shape for the bust and waist to make it nicely fitted, plus it will be miles easier for me to design it myself and learn from mistakes (as there will inevitably be!)…
Today I came home to the fall editions of Vogue Knitting and Family Circle Easy Knitting. There is one pattern in each that I’ve fallen in love with. In FCEK, I’m in love with (what a surprise) the purple mohair wrap cardi, and in VK, the lovely cardi knitted in Debbie Bliss Astrakahn. The former will knit up in the Jaeger Mohair Art that has been sitting in my stash for AGES. The latter I would have to buy for. There is a seller on Ebay who has some, but can I really justify this purchase when I have a corner of stash? Should I be good and wait till I have used some stuff up, or take the chance for a small discount (about 10 quid, seeing as not many people stock this online in the UK yet)? I kind of already know the answer to this one! I should be sensible and good and not get too excited over it, and wait till I’ve made a few things. And who knows, by then I might be able to knit up a smaller size (she says, touching wood hopefully).
Otherwise, thanks to Jax for reminding me that I’m superior to the lazy people on the bus, when I sit and stink next to them 😀 Woot!
Anyway, it is far too chilly here tonight, so I’m going to knock up a plan for the big collar sweater, and work out measurements for MY gauge, and not stupid Debbie Bliss’ and her stupid bad shaping 😉 And probably start knitting it cos I’m far to of the moment today…

Well, today I gave my OSW its first outing, and the response overall was quite good. Two things tho. Firstly, I don’t think shrugs are as popular here as in the US. Secondly I don’t think men understand them as much 🙂 When I asked DB whether he thought it looked silly, he did the old ‘do you think it looks silly?’ come back. I was not dettered, but still he avoided answering properly, so that means he does think it looks silly 🙂 But let him. My female friends like it, and one is interested in me making her one.
Also, does anyone reading here run? I’ve been going running with friends I work with once we have finished and then catching the bus home afterwards, as no-one lives down my neck of the woods, and I don’t drive. Normally I get to the stop a bit later and the bus I catch is quite quiet, so I get to sit away from people, and avoid stinking them up (there are no wash facilities at work to clean up, and the buses aren’t timed well, so I have to leave asap once we are done). Today I encountered an almost full bus, and felt terribly smelly. Someone near me sprayed perfume… That confirms I think that I was stinky! Which is natural considering I’d run/walked 2 miles and done a warm up/cool down within 30 mins. Not bad I think 😀 Well on the way to matching my best of 30min 5k pace, and even improving it. When I got home tho, DB didn’t seem to think I stank too much. Should I give a monkey about smelling up the bus? I was still in my running gear, so it was pretty obvious that that was the reason, rather than pretty work clothes on nasty sweaty person with BO…
Also, for some reason, I have this really strong need to design something, but I haven’t a clue what it is that I want to design, or how I do anything to calculate it. Stupid brain. It could be a last minute panic seeing as I got a letter today saying that I can re-enrol for my course from the end of next week. That spells doom for knitting.
Finally, a word of warning. The MP3 player DB bought me for Christmas lost its lock button about a month ago. I emailed Creative Labs, and never received anything but autoresponses :/ When I looked up the number to phone them this weekend, I saw that they are closed at weekends, and only have the phone line open 9.30 till 6 during the week, which would mean using my mobile phone to call them on my lunch hour and sit in a queue to talk to them. DB emailed Amazon on Saturday morning to explain the situation (he bought it from them), and they mailed back within a couple of hours to say they’d posted a new one, and could we return mine within 30 days 😀 Good old Amazon! Poopy Creative Labs, making it as hard as possible to get in contact with them.
Anyway, I have itchy fingers…

Apparently I haven’t. I was messing around last night, swatching up for a revised version of Simply Marilyn, which still relies on the directions for the garment quite a bit, and simply could not match the gauge. This is fate telling me to just give up on it. Or not 🙂 So now I have three options. The first is to invent my own large collared jumper to match my gauge. The problem with that is that I have no idea how to shape at the top of the garment for this, so I would still need to borrow DB’s guidelines and use some maths (not good). But at least I could make something designed to fit and flatter my shape (I’d put more decreases in at the waist, and keep between half an inch and an inch of ease). The second option is to use good old Ann Budd to make a comfort jumper (that’s both physically and psychologically) – a big sloppy one with a big ribbed turtle neck. The third is to find another DB pattern. A kilo and a half is a bit too much to make a bunch of accessories, and I can’t stand the thought of flogging it. A copy of Noro Knits by Jane Ellinson arrived yesterday, so I’m tempted to have a go at Carraway but making it in all DB instead of DB and Iro (which is far too itchy to wear as a proper garment). The top is fitted, and doesn’t quite go up to my bust size, but when I looked through the pattern, the whole thing is done in really easy and obvious maths (v good for me!), but I could probably just use Ann Budd to make it anyway! Here is a pic – please give me your opinions on this one – would I look awful in it?

I value your opinions, so chuck them at me!
Finally, thank you for the lovely comments too 🙂